Endotracheal aspiration probe

ABSTRACT

The invention concerns a tracheal catheter ( 5 ) for aspirating pulmonary phlegm for a patient under artificial ventilation. The invention is characterised in that said catheter ( 5 ) has a channel ( 9 ) permanently blowing pressurised breathing mixture and said blowing channel ( 9 ) distal orifice ( 12 ) is lateral and sufficiently distant from the said aspirating catheter ( 5 ) distal end ( 5 E) to be located opposite the ventilation tube ( 1 ) inner wall ( 1 I), even when said aspirating catheter ( 5 ) takes up a maximum penetration position inside said ventilation tube ( 1 )

[0001] The present invention relates to an endotracheal aspiration probefor a patient under artificial ventilation.

[0002] It is known that a patient under artificial ventilation isconnected to an artificial respiration apparatus by way of a ventilationtube placed in his trachea and supplied with respiratory gas by saidapparatus. Such a patient secretes pulmonary mucus which requires to beeliminated several times a day. Probes are also already known foraspirating this pulmonary mucus. Depending on the design of theventilation tube, such a probe can be introduced into the trachea eitheras a replacement for said ventilation tube, or through the latter, andthe artificial ventilation must either be interrupted or, by contrast,can be maintained during aspiration of the mucus.

[0003] However, even in the most favorable case in which the artificialventilation is maintained during the aspiration of the mucus, there arenot inconsiderable risks of the patient suffering hypoxia, which cancause the heart to slow down, or even arrest, and these risks are due tothe fact that an artificial respirator insufflates respiratory gas onlyabout one third of the time. Thus, during the other two thirds of thetime, the aspiration of the pulmonary mucus can lead to pulmonarycollapse.

[0004] The object of the present invention is to completely eliminatethe risks of hypoxia during aspiration of pulmonary mucus from a patientunder artificial ventilation.

[0005] To this end, according to the invention, the endotrachealaspiration probe for aspirating pulmonary mucus from a patient underartificial ventilation, connected to an artificial respiration apparatusby way of a ventilation tube placed in his trachea, said aspirationprobe being intended to be connected to aspiration means and to beintroduced into said ventilation tube, is distinguished by the fact thatit includes a channel for permanent blowing of a respiratory gas underpressure, and that the distal orifice of said blowing channel is lateraland sufficiently distant from the distal end of said probe to besituated opposite the inner wall of said ventilation tube, even whensaid probe occupies its position of maximum insertion inside saidventilation tube.

[0006] Thus, during aspiration of the pulmonary mucus, respiratory gasis insufflated into the patient's trachea so that a pulmonary collapsecannot take place. Moreover, because the distal orifice of the blowingchannel is situated opposite the inner wall of the ventilation tube,this blown gas cannot damage the tracheal and bronchial mucousmembranes.

[0007] To achieve this result, it is advantageous, in the case of anadult, for the distance between the distal orifice of the blowingchannel and the distal end of the aspiration probe to be equal to atleast 10 cm, and preferably at least approximately equal to 15 cm. Ifthe probe is intended for a young child, this distance can be at leastequal to 2 cm.

[0008] It is advantageous to provide, in said aspiration probe, achannel which is used for measuring pulmonary pressure and opens out inthe vicinity of the distal end of the aspiration probe, and to use thepressure in said channel for measuring pressure in order to adjust theflow rate of the respiratory gas so as to prevent pulmonary collapse.

[0009] The gas being blown can be oxygen, for example.

[0010] In an advantageous embodiment, the blowing channel and/or thechannel for measuring pressure are formed in the wall of said aspirationprobe.

[0011] Advantageously, the pressure of the respiratory gas being blownis chosen at most equal to 3.5 bar, while the under pressure at thedistal end of the aspiration probe is of the order of several hundredsof millibars.

[0012] The figures in the attached drawing will show clearly how theinvention can be realized. In these figures, identical referencesdesignate similar elements.

[0013]FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic longitudinal section through theendotracheal aspiration probe according to the present invention, inplace in a ventilation tube.

[0014]FIG. 2 is a section along the line II-II in FIG. 1.

[0015] In FIG. 1, a ventilation tube 1 is shown in diagrammaticrepresentation, connected to an artificial respirator 2 by way of aconnection line 3 and intended to ventilate a patient, only the trachea4 of the patient being shown. For this purpose, the distal part 1D ofsaid ventilation tube 1 is lodged in said trachea 4, while the proximalpart 1P of the ventilation tube 1 protrudes from the patient's mouth(not shown), is situated outside the latter and is connected to saidartificial respirator 2 via the connection line 3.

[0016] A probe 5 for aspirating pulmonary mucus from the patient can beintroduced into the ventilation tube 1. The probe 5 includes a centrallongitudinal lumen 6, the proximal part 6P of which is connected to anaspirator 7 via a connection line 8. The aspirator 7 creates anunderpressure, for example equal to several hundreds of millibars, atthe distal end 5E of said probe 5.

[0017] The aspiration probe 5 is provided with a first longitudinalchannel 9, for example formed in the thickness of its wall, and theproximal part 9P of which is connected via a connection line 11 to asource 10 of respiratory gas under pressure. The longitudinal channel 9opens out in the wall of the probe 5 via a lateral orifice 12 formed inthe distal part 5D of said probe, but at a distance d from the distalend 5E thereof. If the probe 5 is intended for an adult, the distance dcan be of the order of 10 cm to 15 cm. The source 10 delivers to thefirst longitudinal channel 9 a blown gas, for example oxygen-based, sothat a jet of respiratory gas, permanent during aspiration, emerges fromthe lateral orifice 12. The pressure of this jet of respiratory gas isat most equal to 3.5 bar.

[0018] The aspiration probe 5 is moreover provided with a secondlongitudinal channel 13, for example formed in the thickness of itswall, and the proximal part 13P of which is connected to a pressuresensor 15 via a connection line 14. The longitudinal channel 13 opensout in the wall of the probe 5 via a lateral orifice 6, formed in thedistal part 5D of the probe 5, in the vicinity of said distal end 5E.

[0019] The pressure sensor 15 is connected to the source 10 via aconnection line 17.

[0020] The aspiration probe 5 is, for example, held by hand by anoperator (not shown) whose fingers 18 grip the proximal end 5P of saidprobe.

[0021] In FIG. 1, the aspiration probe 5 is represented already in placein the artificial ventilation tube 1. It is held at its proximal end 5Pby the fingers 18 of said operator, said fingers bearing against theproximal end 1P of the endotracheal tube 1, which defines the maximuminsertion of said probe 5 into said tube 1.

[0022] Even in this position of maximum insertion, the blowing orifice12 is situated opposite the inner wall 1I of the tube 1, so that thepermanent jet of the blown gas emerging from said orifice 12 strikesthis inner wall and is diffused by the tube 1 toward the patient'slungs, without any possibility of damage to the tracheal and bronchialmucous membranes.

[0023] The pressure of the respiratory gas in the patient's lungs iscaptured via the orifice 16 and transmitted through the channel 13 andthe connection line 14 to the pressure sensor 15 which, via theconnection line 17, can control the delivery rate of the source 10 so asto adjust it to a value which is such that all hypoxia is prevented.

[0024] Thus, it is always possible to optimize the pressure ofrespiratory gas in the patient's lungs during the aspiration of themucus through the lumen 6 of the probe 5, by way of the aspirator 7 andthe connection line 8.

[0025] It will be readily appreciated that the aspiration probe 5 can beeasily introduced into the tube 1 (FIG. 1) or removed therefrom.

1. Endotracheal aspiration probe (5) for aspirating pulmonary mucus froma patient under artificial ventilation, connected to an artificialrespiration apparatus (2) by way of a ventilation tube (1) placed in histrachea (14), said aspiration probe (5) being intended to be connectedto aspiration means (7) and to be introduced into said ventilation tube(1), characterized in that: it includes a channel (9) for permanentblowing of a respiratory gas under pressure; and the distal orifice (12)of said blowing channel (9) is lateral and sufficiently distant from thedistal end (5E) of said aspiration probe (5) to be situated opposite theinner wall (1I) of said ventilation tube (1), even when said aspirationprobe (5) occupies its position of maximum insertion inside saidventilation tube (1).
 2. Aspiration probe according to claim 1, intendedfor an adult, characterized in that the distance (d) between the distalorifice (12) of the blowing channel (9) and the distal end (5E) of saidaspiration probe is equal to at least 10 cm.
 3. Aspiration probeaccording to claim 2, characterized in that said distance (d) is atleast approximately equal to 15 cm.
 4. Aspiration probe according to oneof claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it includes a channel (13) whichis used for measuring pulmonary pressure and opens out (at 16) in thevicinity of the distal end (5E) of said aspiration probe (5). 5.Aspiration probe according to claim 4, characterized in that thepressure in said channel (13) for measuring pulmonary pressure controlsthe flow rate of the respiratory gas being blown.
 6. Aspiration probeaccording to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that saidrespiratory gas being blown is oxygen-based.
 7. Aspiration probeaccording to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that saidblowing channel (9) is formed in the wall of said probe (5). 8.Aspiration probe according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized inthat said channel (13) for measuring pressure is formed in the wall ofsaid probe (5).
 9. Aspiration probe according to any one of claims 1 to8, characterized in that the pressure of the respiratory gas being blownis less than 3.5 bar.
 10. Aspiration probe according to any one ofclaims 1 to 9, characterized in that the underpressure at the distal endof said aspiration probe (5) is of the order of several hundreds ofmillibars.